Sight is one of the most precious of our five senses. It is vital to almost everything we do! That's why your visual health is so important! Optometrists are visual health specialists that typically work in a primary care or community level (and even at the highstreet shopping centres). They are trained to conduct your yearly eye examinations and to manage your visual defects and/or visual health deficiencies. They prescribe and dispense spectacles and/or contact lenses, and screen your eyes for abnormalities and early-stage diseases that could potentially affect your eyesight. Some optometrists work at tertiary healthcare level together with ophthalmologists (or ophthalmic surgeons) in hospitals to care for patients suffering from eye diseases and/or visual impairment, whilst others work in vision science and clinical research. More than meets the eye... The study of optometry involves the study of light (or electromagnetic radiation), optical lenses, the human eye and the brain. This is because the role of the optometrist is to examine the human visual system for eye disease, general health problems and visual defects using specialised ophthalmic instruments. The objective is to provide for their patient's specific visual requirements, either using spectacles, contact lenses or other visual aids. Information from Yap Tiong Peng
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As a primary eye-care provider, it is also important to detect eye diseases at an early stage where patients are still asymptomatic. Such cases may be promptly referred for treatment in order to avoid a permanent deterioration of sight.
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However, vision problems need not always be due to the eyes -- it can be argued that it is the brain that does the 'seeing' (perception) and the eye is a neural extension from the brain that detects light. Therefore, lesions in the brain or the neural pathway linking the eye to the brain can result in characteristic types of visual field loss, which may be detected during an eye test.
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Fortunately, the commonest visual problems are short-sightedness (myopia), long-sightedness (hypermetropia) and astigmatism, where good vision may be restored through the compensation using spectacles, contact lenses or refractive laser surgery.
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However, some visual defects, in particular high myopia, may be strongly associated with serious potentially blinding eye diseases, such as retinal tears, detachments, cataracts and glaucoma. Spectacles, contact lenses and refractive laser surgeries do not help to reduce such risks.
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Early detection through regular eye examinations by a qualified optometrist is essential so that eye diseases can be promptly detected and the appropriate clinical management can be taken.
In some patients, headaches and symptoms associated to the eyes are a major concern and sometimes they can persist despite wearing a well-prescribed pair of spectacles and/or contact lenses. An assessment of the 'binocular status' of their vision would be beneficial to determine how the two eyes function and coordinate together. The optometrist may prescribe some visual training exercises or some simple remedies, which may help alleviate some specific problems with the muscles around the eyes.
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Occasionally, optometrists may advice on their patient's working environment in aspects such as lighting because a badly designed work-station can sometimes bring about visual discomfort to patients in the form of glare and reflections. It may sound trivial, but it is essential to provide the occupational visual needs of patients so that their working performance can be maximised using the appropriate lens prescription. Serious work-related eye injuries can be minimised, if not avoided, using the appropriate eyewear for protection.
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In an unfortunate situation where a permanent visual impairment had occurred due to an eye disease in its advanced stage, optometrists who practises 'low vision' can help these visually-impaired individuals cope with their visual impairment using specially prescribed low vision aids. However, before such actions are taken, all possible course of treatment should be sought after by an ophthalmologist. Article by Yap Tiong Peng Qualification Guide (Click to find out)
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